Cochise and route finding

My friends and I are thinking of heading to Cochise in January (we're from Oregon). Last year we tried Mt. Lemmon and didn't like it very much as we spent much of our time driving around, walking around, looking back and forth from our printed guide to the rock in front of us...you get the gist. Is getting around and route finding hard at Cochise? Will Bob Kerry's guide enable us to find where we're going without too much difficulty? Thanks in advance.
-Nicole

Depends on where you are going. Mt. Lemmon is tough and the guide sucks. Seeing the domes is pretty easy and getting to them is usually pretty easy. Kerry's guide is so old and so many routes have been put up on some domes that it is easy to get on multiple routes all by accident. Check out TOOFAST'S Topos to specific domes for accurate info on where the routes go. Good luck.

Hmmm, might run into a few difficulties depending on where you climb. Much of the climbing at cochise has a remote backcountry feel and there aren't lots of obvious cracks or bolt lines to aim for all the time. Some pretty epic desert jungle bushwacking too. That said, there's some great cragging in the east stronghold that is really straightforward. I'd start there and see how that goes. Also, Isle of Ewe in the west stronghold is a sport crag-ish atmosphere. Good Luck!

MP is an excellent reference for the Stronghold. Toofast's topos are excellent! You would be missing out on the huge variety and high quality of Stronghold climbing if you "cragged." Do your homework and enjoy the longer routes!

Stu (I'm from Colorado and have managed to locate and climb dozens of great routes!)

LOL! I hope you guys like bushwhacking!

Not only does the Mt. Lemmon guide suck, but the author is a total a-hole.

just stay home.

dolemike wrote:Not only does the Mt. Lemmon guide suck, but the author is a total a-hole.

I really hope he doesn't come out when a new edition any time in the near future either

The Dragoons are awesome. Most of the approaches to the trade routes are well beat down and relativly easy to find. The camping is great and the wilderness setting is tough to beat. Geir's topos are good. The postings on this site are also good.

Good luck.

Nicole Castonguay wrote:Is getting around and route finding hard at Cochise?

Yes. Way, way harder than Mount Lemmon.

And I say that as a visiting climber and having climbed at both areas.

Typical approach:

Cochise approach...

Friendly spikey things to bump into:

Cochise foliage

Get closely acquainted with new friends:

Cochise buddy

Have fun!

Brian, I just realized that I met you in Squammish in 2007! Pattie was a student of mine this past summer.

Oh, and yes, Brian is correct: getting around in the Stronghold and not getting lost is harder than Mt. Lemmon. There is a reason that Cochise and Geronimo holed-up there while raiding American and Mexican settlements in the area.

However, some of the areas approached from the East Stronghold are easier to find than others. Rockfellow, Cochise Dome, Stronghold Dome, for examples (though the actual approach to Cochise Dome is not trivial).

When we first started climbing out there I always scoped the approach the day before a climb. Carried in a couple of liters of water and left it at the base just that much less to carry the next day.

Haven't been there for several years so the popular crags may well have gotten easier to find.

If you struggled along the highway Cochise could be a nightmare but it's well worth learning your way around.

Good luck and have fun.